In an uncredited editorial piece in January 2015, the Juneau Empire singled out Cara McNamara, an AKACDL member and an Assistant Federal Public Defender. The article criticized Ms. McNamara for arguing that her client should receive a lower sentence for possessing child pornography because there was no evidence that the defendant had engaged in any actual physical abuse of a child. The article described Ms. McNamara's performance of her professional obligation as "shocking," saying there was "no gray area" because a "child predator is a child predator. Period." AKACDL responded to this attack by writing a letter to the Juneau empire. The letter was written by AKACDL Board members Darrel Gardner and Mike Schwaiger, and signed by the president of AKACDL, Cindy Strout. A copy of the letter, as published by the Juneau Empire on April 9, 2015, is available below.